1. Field of the Invention
An aspect of the present invention relates to a fastener used, for example, to fix plate-like members such as exterior or interior components of vehicles to a vehicle panel.
2. Description of the Related Art
Generally, fasteners fastening a plate-like member to a panel of a vehicle have a free detaching function, for example, so as to separate the plate-like member at the time of a break-down of an electric sun-roof. Such a kind of fastener is disclosed, for example, in JP-UM-H02-001525-B.
The fastener disclosed in JP-UM-H02-001525-B is described in brief. The numbers in the brackets are reference numerals in JP-UM-H02-001525-B. The fastener (10) in JP-UM-H02-001525-B is completed by inserting an operation member (30) into an inner cylindrical portion (13) of a main body (11). By pressing and inserting an outer cylindrical portion (16) into an attachment hole (41), a locking claw (18) is locked and the fastener (10) is locked to the attachment hole (41) by single step. When detaching the fastener (10) from the attachment hole (41), a contact protrusion (20) of the main body (11) comes in slidable contact with a tapered portion (39) of the operation member (30) and moves inward, by pressing down the operation member (30). With the movement of the contact protrusion (20), an elastic portion (17) and a locking claw (18) are drawn inward. Accordingly, the locking claw (18) can be unlocked from the attachment hole (41).
However, in the fastener described in JP-UM-H02-001525-B, the contact protrusion (20) is formed in an L-shaped plate (19). Accordingly, when the operation member (30) is pressed and thus the contact protrusion (20) is made to move inward, the L-shaped plate (19) is bent. As a result, the drawing force due to the inward movement of the contact protrusion (20) is not directly transmitted to the elastic portion (17) and the locking claw (18), whereby the locking to the attachment hole (41) may not be surely released.
In the locked state of the fastener, the outer cylindrical portion (16) is deeply inserted into the attachment hole (41) and is exposed from the opposite side of a panel (40). When the locking to the attachment hole (41) is released, the diameter of the elastic portion (17) is made to be reduced by the tapered portion (39) formed in the inner middle portion of the operation member (30). Accordingly, the operation member (30) has to be pressed deeper. Therefore, an enough space between the vehicle panel and the panel (40) for inserting the operation member (30) is required to layout the fastener, thereby deteriorating the layout property.